The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday embedded with IDF forces in the first Israeli media visit to the new IDF positions inside southern Lebanon, specifically the position near Margaliyot.
In February, the IDf withdrew from southern Lebanon, but erected and maintained five new outposts in Lebanese territory.
During the visit, Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed to the Post statements by IDF sources that given the extensive destruction of villages in southern Lebanon, it could take three to five years of rebuilding before there is anything for Lebanese civilians to return to.
With many observers concerned that Hezbollah would exploit this mass return of Lebanese civilians to return under the guise of being civilians, the realization of the extent of the destruction of Lebanese villages is expected to delay such a threat.
Lebanese civilians return home
At most, IDF sources said that in some parts of southern Lebanon, 20-30% of Lebanese civilians have returned to their homes over four months after the ceasefire with Israel.
Next, IDF sources said that the Lebanese army has significantly improved its anti-Hezbollah enforcement activities in southern Lebanon.
Sources said that the mechanism in which the IDF reports lower grade Hezbollah violations in southern Lebanon to the US and America reports them to the Lebanese, has led to around 500 enforcement actions by the Lebanese.
Such numbers are unprecedented for the Lebanese army versus Hezbollah and a significant improvement from December 2024 when there was little effort by the Lebanese military against Hezbollah.
At the same time, the fact that the IDF has killed over 120 Hezbollah fighters since the ceasefire and struck Beirut twice this past week, shows that Israeli military enforcement in parallel to the Lebanese military will be necessary for some time.
Moreover, Katz said that Israel would need to remain in the five new outpost positions in Lebanese territory for some undefined time period to come.
The visit to the IDF position near Margaliyot, but inside Lebanon took around four minutes and was deeper into Lebanese territory than the expected few hundred meters which defense sources have previously cited.
The position is laid out with the now destroyed village of Markaba on one side and Houla on the other side.
IDF sources said that the post gives the IDF a commanding position near the larger Wadi al Saluki area.
The position had sizable trenches, a fairly large complement of soldiers, and multiple tanks easily visible to the eye – including likely out of sight air support.
Katz also told the Post that the overall IDF success versus Hezbollah did not mean that rocket fire from terror groups in Lebanon would end entirely.
However, he said to the Post that Israel’s assertive responses had changed the equation of attack and counterattack between the sides, especially after the air force attacked in Beirut twice in the last week following small rocket fire from Lebanon which hit nothing.
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